Category: General

LCHR is pleased to announce that Matthew Turner has been appointed as Chair and Executive Director.

Matthew is a commercial solicitor with a broad experience of public interest and human rights work. He has spent a year in Texas defending death row inmates, worked in the legal team at Liberty, and volunteered for a wide range of human rights charities.

“I am delighted to be taking up this role and leading such an important and meaningful campaign. Human rights have been constantly under attack in recent years, and LCHR has a big task to promote and protect them within the Labour movement, the UK and beyond. I want to build on the excellent work that Andrew has done over the years, and make sure that human rights are always at the heart of Labour Party policy.”

LCHR wants to thank Andrew Noakes for his hard-work and dedication over the years. Andrew grew LCHR from a handful of volunteers five years ago into the powerful and high-profile campaign that it is today. He will continue to serve on the board of directors for the time being to ensure a smooth transition.

The Labour Campaign for Human Rights is a small, not-for-profit organisation. In the past, we have been fortunate to benefit from some funding that allowed us to take on paid campaigners, including a paid intern. However, we are presently a voluntary group only, meaning we’re run entirely by volunteers. Our organisation also began this way.

We offer opportunities for people who want to get involved in political campaigning to contribute to our activities on a voluntary basis. Such opportunities are designed to be carried out in their spare time, and most of our volunteers work jobs, internships, or study while contributing to our campaigns as and when they can. All volunteers are free to come and go as they please, contributing as much or as little as they wish for whatever period of time they want. Though our adverts often note that 2-3 hours per week is a typical contribution, this isn’t binding and many contribute less or more depending on their own time and preferences. All volunteers contribute remotely, except for any meetings or events they wish to attend. Sometimes, we look for volunteers who are interested in particular kinds of activities, such as digital campaigning or grassroots activism, and we advertise for specific voluntary roles on this basis. However, these roles are governed by the same flexible approach as above. None of our voluntary roles carry the promise of future employment. We do not offer any form of unpaid employment.

The political blog, Guido Fawkes, published an article on 4 June that claimed the Labour Campaign for Human Rights is using unpaid interns to aid our campaigning activities. This article conflates the issue of unpaid internships – unpaid, structured work akin to employment – with genuine political engagement carried out as a spare-time activity. There are thousands of clubs, societies, charities, blogs, and small campaigning groups like ours that are run mostly or entirely by volunteers. Political parties also benefit from thousands of volunteers who want to make a contribution in the world of politics. These voluntary activities are vital to our civic and political life and we defend them robustly as an essential feature of our participatory democracy, just as we robustly oppose unpaid employment.

LCHR’s longstanding Chair and Executive Director, Andrew Noakes, is standing down from the day-to-day running of LCHR in June. We are now searching for someone to replace him as head of our organisation, occupying the position of Chair. This is a voluntary role to be carried out in the successful candidate’s spare time.

The Chair will lead on all aspects of LCHR’s work, including strategy, campaigning, policy, organisational tasks, and fundraising. They will be free to appoint their own committee of volunteer officers to assist them in these areas.

This is a rare opportunity to take the helm of a well-known and effective human rights organisation that campaigns for change within and beyond the Labour Party.

Please note, the successful candidate will receive mentoring from LCHR’s board of directors to help them understand their role and responsibilities.

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to Andrew Noakes at andrew.noakes@lchr.org.uk. If you have any questions about the role prior to applying, you’re also welcome to email these over.

The deadline for applications is 7 June.

Please note: as a voluntary role, the hours for this position are flexible and the successful candidate will be free to fit the role around their other responsibilities.

I’m writing to let you know that I’ll be standing down as Executive Director of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights at the end of this month.

It’s been my honour to lead this organisation since its inception five years ago. Back then, we were just a handful of volunteers looking to get involved in the Labour Party and make a difference for human rights. I never imagined that, five years later, LCHR could be what it is now. I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved.

It’s time for someone new to take LCHR forward, reinvigorating our organisation with new leadership and new ideas. My successor will be appointed by the board of directors after an open recruitment and selection process. Look out for the advert in the next few days. I will continue to serve on the board of directors for an interim period to ensure a smooth transition.

Thanks for all your support over the last five years, and here’s to many more years of LCHR flourishing and being a force for good.

LCHR’s preference is for a post-Brexit immigration system based on free movement or a variation of free movement. However, if this proves impossible to attain, it will be vital for Labour to ensure the most damaging aspects of the current non-EU system are not foisted on EU nationals.

In our latest briefing, we explore the pitfalls of the current system and argue that any new system implemented for EU nationals arriving in the UK from January 2021 should not mirror it.

LCHR is now advertising for a new non-executive director to sit on our board. If you’re an LCHR member, or if you join before the deadline, you are eligible and welcome to apply.

Please view a description of the role here. Please note, this is an incredible opportunity to get involved in the running of LCHR, but it’s also a serious responsibility. Being a non-executive director carries legal responsibilities, which you can read more about here.

If you would like to apply, please send your CV and a cover letter to andrew.noakes@lchr.org.uk by the deadline (22 April). Candidates will be shortlisted, interviewed, and then appointed by the current board. We look forward to your application!

The Labour Campaign for Human Rights is pleased to publish the fourth briefing of our Brexit and human rights project. The briefing provides an objective human rights analysis of three proposed variations on free movement: free movement with a job offer, free movement with an emergency break, and free movement limited by regional or sectoral quotas.

The final section of this briefing considers the recurring human rights risks posed by these three alternatives to free movement, and makes some recommendations for Labour’s priorities for a humane, progressive post-Brexit immigration system.